Interviews

Halo 2: Of Music and Sound

Bungie's resident music and sound man Marty O'Donnell takes on a trip through the aural aspects of the game.

Of just about all of the video games that have come out over the last few years, Halo probably has the most recognizable theme song. We've all heard the chanting monks, even if only in passing, and the swelling orchestral music has even been remixed into a techno song. As the man behind the music, Marty O'Donnell has brought game tunes to a whole new level, and sound fans will be happy to know that he's coming back for more with Halo 2.

In many way, the music in games has come a long way in the last few years. In the past, music would be slapped over the action at the end of the process, and the two didn't always match up. However, now we're seeing music used as an integral part of the game, and it is often used to set moods just as it is in film. The same can be said for sound effects. If you've ever jumped as you heard a rocket fly past your head, you'll know what I'm talking about. Amazingly, Halo 2 is even better in both ways than its predecessor, and most of the credit goes to Marty and his team. So, let's get down to the questions!

GameSpy: You've come from a diverse background, including leading a prog rock band and writing advertising jingles. How did you get into the gaming business?

Marty O'Donnell: I've always been a gamer, even while writing music for vitamin commercials. Josh Staub, the 18-year-old son of a friend of mine, visited my studio in Chicago in 1993 and showed me a beta version of a game being developed by friends of his in his hometown of Spokane, WA. That game turned out to be Myst, and once I played it I was determined to expand my audio business to include game audio. Josh introduced me to his friends and my first game audio job was Riven: The Sequel to Myst. He is now the art director for Cyan.

GameSpy: Whose idea was it to use the chanting men in the theme for the first Halo (and again in the second)?

Marty O'Donnell: That was my idea. In the summer of 1999 Joseph Staten, Bungie's Director of Cinematics, and I wanted to give people a feeling of "ancient" while they watched an early game demo of Halo and nothing says ancient better than monks. Once the sound and melody of the monks became synonymous with Halo, I had to bring them back for Halo 2.

GameSpy: Is it true that all of those voices are yours?

Marty O'Donnell: No. There are five singers (including me) on the opening chant for Halo. I used a 16-voice mixed choir for Halo 2. However, there are a few pieces in both games that I produced with just my voice, mostly because it was too late in the process to get the choir back in.